D linked me to this article (or blog postish type thingy) by Joss Wheadon - of Firefly fame (yes, I know he did Buffy and that other thing, but I loved Firefly…and it’s my blog — so nah!). Read the whole thing. I don’t know why I am endlessly surprised by men who really respect women, who try to understand where the toughness and tenderness and coexist. I’ve never been of the mind that women are better than men, that we are superior, but there’s something to our ability to create life that no man can take away.

This may be hypocritical of me to say. I’m well aware that I don’t want children (thank you — did my spawning at 16 — the genes have been spread) but I can still create life if I chose. My womb is a cyclic dance, endlessly moving and changing. That will never end. And it seems, neither will the violence against women. Why are we so frightening? Why is it okay to subjugate women to a male ego.

Please understand that I am not saying this as an abused or even irritated woman. I’m married to the kindest man in the universe, and my brother is similarly reverent of women. There are many people in my life who have never hit a woman or talked down to them or demeaned them. But theres always someone out there who thinks it is okay to denigrate their wife or emotionally abuse their mother. Or… that it’s okay to hit.

I realize this is kind of unfocused rambling, but this issue rings in a place I thought long healed. It’s tickling at memories I would like to forget. If you love a woman, any woman, remember that we deserve respect and kindness and an equal footing in society, otherwise, we are just perpetuating stereotypes over and over again.

For the record — I’ve been many things a woman’s not supposed to be: blunt, uncompromising, sexually adventurous, fierce, and thoughtful. That will never change. You can call me a bitch, a slut, crazy and emotional — it’s all about the adjectives, I guess. But you can’t take away the fact that I’m a strong woman.